Saturday, January 17, 2015

After reading about Artist Trading Blocks on the Gelli Arts blog and becoming completely inspired by the idea of a six sided collage, Jane issued a challenge to the FANE members to make a block or two. We cut our blocks 1.75" x 1.75". These are the outstanding results! Bravo for creativity!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Every year our group, under the wise tutelage of our leader, Jane Davila, puts on a show. Previously the exhibits had been at the gallery in the Mahopac Library, a very good spot with a large reception room. It seems that that space has become so popular that they will only allow a group to exhibit every other year. We had to come up with a new venue. Many ideas were thrown around and then Jane's friend, Julie Saviano, was about to open a new fiber shop in Larchmont, NY. called Etui Fiber Arts. It would carry some fabrics, yarns and other fiber related items and would have a small gallery in front. It sounded perfect. And it was! We decided on the theme of Architectural Elements and the size was restricted to 14" wide by no more than 20" high. There would also be some pedestals and some members opted to make freestanding pieces that would fit into narrow wooden stands.

Julie will put up a new show every month so this one will come down at the end of this month, April. It is a lovely show and well worthy of a visit and you may even find something to purchase in this wonderful new shop.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Welcome to a new feature on our blog - Featured Member! One or more times a month we will be featuring a member of FiberArt NorthEast, showing examples of her work, and answers to a list of interesting questions that were posed to our group.Our first featured member is Donna Chambers. You can find more of Donna's work on her website.

What is your favorite technique to employ in your fiber art and why?I love working in raw edge appliqué . Raw edge appliqué quickly pushed me to experiment with fabric Mosaics. I use small squares, strips, rectangles and triangle bits of fabrics placing them as if they were ceramic tiles. It's very intense and the effect is powerful. Once the piece is free motion quilted it takes on a painterly and a dimensional look.What inspires you?I am inspired by many things. Fashion, Fabric, Metallics, Color, Texture and a real good challenge.

What skill, tool, or technique do you plan to master next?I am currently taking a crazy quilt workshop. Can't wait to learn and experiment with the many hand embroidery stitches.What other art media do you work in (past or present)? How does this inform your fiber work?As a teenager I was blessed to work in the Ossining textile art studio of famed textile artist Vera Neumann of Vera Scarves. I know I got my color sense from her, she loved brights, texture, she always worked in groups and she always had a theme. What I learned from her is priceless.

I am a professional goldsmith/jewelry designer by trade since 1980, I manufacture and sell to stores throughout the the US. My jewelry is also influenced by texture and color as well as my fiber work plus metallics.

What advice to you have for
someone just starting in fiber art?I encourage those starting in fiber arts to play a lot in materials of all sorts, take workshops and get yourself involved with an artistic group of people and let it rip.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

This past weekend our FANE group had another fabulous exhibit as part of the Northern Star Quilter's Guild annual show. We were in a separate room at the end of the hall. It was a great space with plenty of room for the kimonos on their stands to be displayed and ample space to walk around them. Our wonderfully talented leader, Jane Davila came up with this idea, as she did our Totems last year.

I was amazed at the diversity that was displayed. Each artist had their own interpretation. The only "rules" were that it be made to a specific size and that it would drape over the wooden stand. Some were quilted, some were sheer, some were surface design, some were painted, some used paper, some were multilayered. Each one was a reflection of its maker and all were stunning.

I had seen most of the pieces before the show, but I still gasped in amazement when I walked into the room and saw them all together on the stands.

So now I give you all of them in their great glory. If I know a little about the process, I will include it.

Be sure to click on the pictures for a bigger view.

Andrea Shedletsky-Color Play Andrea used silks and batiks with her impeccable machine piecing.

Barbara Drillck--Ao To Shiro No Kimono Barbara studied in Japan many years ago and used some Japanese fabric.